Vegetable slicer



March 21H, 19% N. K. MORRIS VEGETABLE SLICER Filed April 13, 1948 INVENTOR. 7144 Tf/A/V K. NOR/W5, 7 BY /47 RNF Y5 Patentecl Mar. 21, 1950 UNl'ilED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to a vegetable slicer and it is one object of the invention to provide a slicer of such size and formation that it is adapted for use in a kitchen, lunchroom or the like for cutting vegetables into slices for use during preparation of a meal.

Another object of the invention is to so mount the blade that it may be shifted vertically to adjusted position where it is secured with its cutting edge disposed a predetermined distance above the surface of the table and thus cause slices of desired thickness to be cut from vegetables disposed against the platform and slid along the same towards the blade.

Another object of the invention is to form the body portion of the slicer with front legs IhlCh not only serve as supporting legs for this end of the slicer, but also constitute tracks along which extend arms of the cutting blade, the front legs having vertically extending slots therein to receive bolts by means of which the blade is firmly secured in a set position and thereby allow vertical adjustment of the blade.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slicer having a body which may be entirely formed from single blank of a sheet metal and, therefore manufactured at low cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vegetable slicer which is simple in construction and very easy to operate.

With this and other objects, the invention consists of an improved construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the improved vegetable slicer.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the vegetable slicer along line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4. is a transverse sectional view taken through the forward portion of the vegetable slicer along line l-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the slicing blade.

This improved vegetable slicer has a body formed of sheet metal and having a platform I from which extend side walls 2 carrying front and rear legs 3 and t. Marginal portions of the legs and the portion of the side walls between these legs are bent inwardly to provide flanges 5 which reinforce the same and also serve to provide lower ends of the legs with flat surfaces and thus allow the slicer to be placed upon a table without scratching the table. In addition, the flanges eliminate sharp edges along margins of the side walls and legs of the body and allow the slicer to be handled without cutting a persons fingers. A tongue 6 extends rearwardly, having downward incline from the rear end of the platform I and constitutes a finger hold which is of concaval formation and provides the upper surface of this finger hold with a depression i into which a persons thumb will fit when grasping the finger hold. A flange 8 extends along margins of the finger hold and along the rear end of the platform at opposite sides of the finger hold to reinforce the finger hold and prevent it from being bent out of its proper angular position. The front legs 3 are shorter than the rear legs and, therefore, when the slicer is placed upon a table its platform extends forwardly at a downward incline which allows the vegetables to be easily slid forwardly along the platform towards a cutting edge 9 of a blade It which extends across the forward portion of the body between the front legs.

The front edge of the platform terminates in slight rearward spaced relation to the front legs and its forward end portion is bent downwardly to form a flange I I which reinforces the forward portion of the platform and prevents the platform from being bent downwardly by pressure applied during a slicing operation. The front legs are laterally offset outwardly with respect to the side edges of the platform, as shown at Fig. 1, thereby forming the front legs with internal channels or tracks I3 which are open at their upper ends and receive the arms I l of the cutting blade IQ. These arms carry bolts I5 which pass outwardly through slots I6 extending vertically of the front legs and into outer end portions of the bolts are screwed fasteners ll having headswhich bear against sleeves I8 carried by the protruding portions of the bolts.

Since the bolts pass through slots extending vertically in the front legs, the fasteners l 1 may be loosened and pressure applied to the arms I4 relieved to allow the arms to he slid upwardly or downwardly and thus move the blade ill to a position in which its cutting edge 9 is disposed in desired upwardly spaced relation to the upper surface of the platform I.

By this arrangement the slices cut from vegetables will be of predetermined thickness and the space l9 between the cutting edge of the blade and the front edge of the platform will be of sufficient dimensions to allow the slices to pass under the blade and drop upon the table or into a receptacle placed under the slicer if the slicer is of sufficient size to accommodate a receptacle. Up-

per ends of the front legs are bent outwardly to form lips or flanges 20 against which thumbs may be placed when shifting the blade upwardly and under which fingers of a persons hands may be engaged while thumbs are placed upon end portions of the blade and pressure applied to move the blade downwardly.

It will thus be seen that when the fasteners I I are loosened the blade may be very easily shifted upwardly or downwardly and the fasteners then again tightened to secure the blade in a set position. Near its cutting edge the metal from which the blade is formed is stamped to provide a downwardly projecting rib 2| which reinforces the blade and prevents it from being bent by pressure applied when adjusting the blade or during a slicing operation.

When this improved slicer is in use, it is set at rest upon a table and the finger hold or tongue 6 grasped between the thumb and first finger of one hand. A vegetable to be sliced is then grasped in the other hand, set at rest upon the platform where it is reciprocated longitudinally of the platform towards and away from the front end thereof. During this reciprocating movement the vegetable is brought into contact with the sharpened edge I of the blade and as the vegetable moves across the blade, a slice will be cut from the vegetable in accordance with the distance the blade is disposed above the platform,

If i is found that the slices are too thick or too thin, the fasteners I! are loosened and the blade then shifted upwardly or downwardly to the proper position and the fasteners again tightened to hold the blade in its adjusted position.

It will thus be seen that this slicer may be conveniently held in place upon a table with one hand while a vegetable to be sliced is reciprocated along the platform and across the cutting blade and the vegetable easily and quickly cut into slices which will be of the same thickness.

From the foregoing description of the con-- struction of my improved device, the operation thereof and the method of assembly will be readily understood. and it will be seen that I have provided a comparatively simple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the various objects of the invention.

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth. it is apparent that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A vegetable slicer comprising a body having a platform and supports extending downwardly from opposite sides thereof, the said support having forward portions projecting forwardly from the front end of the platform and offset outwardly and laterally and forming the forward portions of the supports with internal tracks open at their upper ends and having side walls, a blade extend teners releasably holding said arms in vertically adjusted positions whereby the blade is supported in predetermined upwardly spaced relation to said platform.

2. A vegetable slicer comprising a body having a platform and depending supports at opposite sides of the platform, said supports having front end portions extending forwardly from the front edge of said platform and formed with vertically extending slots, spaced forwardly from the plane of the front edge of the platform, a blade extending transversely of said body in advance of the platform between the forwardly projecting portions of the supports and having arms at its ends extending downwardly against inner side faces of the said forward portions of the supports, bolts carried by said arms and extending outwardly through said slots, sleeves about the outwardly protruding portions of said bolts, and fasteners in threaded engagement with the ends of said bolts engaging outer ends of the sleeves, the fasteners being tightened and applying pressure upon the sleeves and exerting gripping force to hold the arms in vertically adjusted positions and thereby support the blade in desired vertically spaced relation to the front edge of said platform.

3. A vegetable slicer comprising a body having a platform and depending supports along its opposite side edges each formed with front and rear legs, said front legs being disposed forwardly of the front end of the platform and having portions bent outwardly laterally of the supports to form internally with vertically extending channels having front and rear vertically extending walls, a blade extending transversely of said body in advance of said platform and having depending arms at its ends slidably engaged in the channels of the front legs, the said front legs being formed with vertically extending slots, bolts carried by the arms and passing through said slots with portions protruding from the front legs, the bolts being tightened and applying gripping pressure to releasably secure the arms in vertically adjusted positions and thereby support said blade in vertically adjusted relation to the front end of said platform, and flanges extending outwardly from upper ends of the front legs for engagement by fingers of a persons hands when vertically adjusting the blade and its arms.

l. A vegetable slicer comprising a body having a platform and side supports having front end portions for the platform, said supports extending forwardly beyond the front edge of the platform and having their forwardly projecting portions formed internally with vertically extending tracks open at their upper ends, and having front and rear walls, a blade extending transversely of said body in front of the platform between the forwardly projecting portions of said supports and having arms extending downwardly from its ends and slidably engaged in said tracks and held against transverse tilting by engagement with the walls of the tracks, said blade having a sharpen ed rear edge confronting said platform and adj-acent the sharpened edge being formed with a longitudinally extending reinforcing rib for preventing bending of the blade, and securing bolts carried by said arms and extending outwardly through slots formed vertically in the forward portion of the supports whereby the arms may be shifted vertically and the bolts tightened to hold the blade in a vertically adusted position relative to the upper surface of the platform.

5. A slicer comprising a body having a platform and supports extending downwardly from opposite sides thereof, members extending forwardly beyond the front edge of said platform at opposite sides thereof and having portions ofiset laterally and forming vertical tracks open at their upper ends and bordered by front and rear walls, a blade extending transversely of said body in front of said platform and sharpened along its rear edge, arms extending downwardly from opposite ends of said blade into said tracks and being slidable vertically therein and held against tilting movement by engagement with the walls of the tracks, and means for releasably holding the arms in vertically adjusted positions and thereby supporting the blade in desired upwardly spaced relation to the front end of the platform.

NATHAN K. MORRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 562,613 Jacobi June 23, 1896 1,164,241 Walker Dec. 14, 1915 2,273,969 Linenfelser Feb. 24, 1942 2,401,668 Senkewitz June 4, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS N umber Country Date H 455,607 Great Britain Oct. 26, 1936 

